Method of making a revolver holster



Aug. 10, 1965 E, J. CLARK METHOD OF MAKING A REVOLVER HOLSTER Original Filed Sept. 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Aug. 10, 1965 y E. J. CLARK METHOD oF MAKING A REVOLVER HOLSTER Original Filed Sept. 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Q ,4free/Vey avall, thus conforming the 4holster to the gun.

3 ,2&@2 l Patented Aug. l0, 1955 poration of California Griginal application Sept. 1t), 1962., Ser. No. 222,415.

Divided and this application ept. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 399,755

' l0 Claims. (Cl. 15d-93) This application is a division of my application Serial No. 222,415, entitled Revolver Holster and Method of Making the Same, filed SeptemberlO, 1962.

The present invention relates generally to a holster for an object, such as a gun or the like, and is more particularly concerned with a novel method of fabricating the holster.

Heretofore, gun holsters have been conventionally constructed from pieces of leather or other flexible materials which have been secured together by stitching or other means to provide a simple tubular structure adapted to receive the gun endwise into its upper open end. Such holsters, in a sense, merely provided a sleeve into which the object could be forced, this sleeve, by virtue of its construction, acting to grippingly hold the gun by virtue of frictional resistance which undesirably impeded removal of the gun so that a fast draw was virtually impossible.

Having the foregoing in mind, the present invention has for one object the provision of a novel method of making a holster which embodies a rigid stiifener, and which is so arranged as to provide a tubular structure contoured to conform to the gun configuration, and in particular wherein the holster is formed with cavities adapted to receive the cylinder portion in the case of a revolver. Thus, the gun will be supported in a carrying position and may be rapidly withdrawn with little or no frictional or gripping resistance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel method of making a holster having a wall structure which includes a preformed rigid stitlener member containing a recessed area, and which is deformable as by bending so as to angularly dispose a belt supporting extension at an angle to the axis of the tubular structure for receiving the gun.

Another object is to provide an improved method for fabricating the holster from preformed blanks, and which embodies a unique manner of assembling and securing the parts or blanks with respect to the stiifener so as to form a holster having the unique features described herein.

in accordance with this invention there is provided a holster construction in which a single body blank is utilized to form a belt attaching extension and tubular structure having outer and inner walls, the inner wall having layers of leather or other material arranged to overlie a metallic stiff-ener. By means of stitching at the adjacent ends of the stiifener, the stitfener is positioned and anchored, a portion overlying material being extended as a free flap which is cooperatively associated with the body extension to provide a belt receiving loop. The lower end of the stilfener member is provided with a recessed cavity portion. After assembly, a form or template simulating the gun to be carried in the holster is inserted, and by a blocking process the holster is blocked to force the overlying material into the cavity on the inner wall side, and at the same time form a cavity on the outer The utilization of a metallic stiffener permits the belt receiving loop portion to be angularly deflected so as to provide a permanent offset with respect to the general axis of the gun yreceiving tubular structure of the holster.

the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. l is an outer side elevational view of a holster constructed according to the method of the present invention, a gun being shown in phantom lines therein;

FIG. 2 is a back elevational view of the same;

FIG. 3 is an inner side elevational view;

FlG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken substantially on line 4 4 of FG. l;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional View, taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 6 to 10 inclusive progressively disclose the successive steps of the method of fabricating the holster of the present invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, a holster made in accordance with the method of the present invention comprises an elongate tubular structure which is open at its uppermost end for receiving a gun therein for movement to a seated or carrying position. The tubular structure is formed from a body blank ttt of pliable material such as leather or the like, which is folded to provide a forward edge fold ll, opposite edges l2 and 13 being positioned in superimposed relation and secured as by stitching 14 to an intervening welt 15. This welt, as shown in FIG. 8, comprises a generally L-shaped member having a leg te which extends along the back edge of the holster, and a leg li7 which extends alongthe bottom closed end of the holster.

With the body t9 formed as described above, the portions of the body lying on opposite sides of the edge fold ll provide an outer wall 18 and an inner wall 19. The inner Wall is formed with an integral belt attaching extension 2@ which extends above the upper end of the outer wall, and is rearwardly inclined at an angle with respect to the general axis of the tubular structure.

The inner wall, including the extension 2i), is rigidied by means of a stiffener member 21 which is shown in FGS. 4 and 6 as generally comprising a plate member of metal or other suitable rigid deformable material. The

stitlener member has opposite end portions 22 and 23 tiguous to the outer surface of the inner wall l? and is positioned so that the end portion 22 extends into the upper open end of the tubular'structure, while the end portion 23 extends over and generally conforms to the configuration of the belt attaching extension 29.

The stilener member is anchored in position within a retaining pocket 29 which is cooperatively formed between -the inner wall 19 and a liner member 30 that is ysecured to the belt attachingextension Ztl by marginal stitching 3l which extends along the side and end edges of the end portion 23 of the stilfener member.

Cverlying the liner member 30 is a belt hanger member 32 which is substantially coextensive with the liner member. The belt hanger member has its lowermost end secured together with the corresponding end of a liner member 30 to the underlying body member inner wall 19 by means of marginal stitching 33 which extends along the edges and 26, and rounded end edge 27 of the end portion 23 of the stiifener member. The upper end portion of the belt hanger member 32 extends as a free ap 34 over the belt attaching extension 2i) andis adapted to be folded around the outermost end thereof where it may be secured as by snap fasteners 3S, or kother suitable releasable fastener means, so that the parts thus form a belt receiving loop. l

As initially constructed by the method to be hereinafter described, the stifener member has its end portions 22 and 23 lying substantially in the same plane so that the belt attaching parts extend in a position shown in .phanf tom lines in FIG. 4. In some cases it may be desired to provide this arrangement. However, the holster more "readily conforms to the wearers body and hip by deforming the stiffener member substantially at the entrance opening at the top of the outer wall 18 so that the belt attaching portions will be inclined away fromvthe general axis of the tubular portion, as shown.

As will be seen from FIG. 4, the areas of the liner member and the belt hangerY member 32 which overlie the cavity 28 are depressed so that they extend into the cavity and cooperate with a cavity portion 36 in the outer wall 18 to provide a seat for a gun 37, as shown in phantom lines, and which is conformed to the cylinder 33 thereof, thus permitting the withdrawal of the gun with vlittle or no impeding frictional resistance.

The gun is retained within the holster by means ofa detachable safety strap 39, as shown in phantom lines, this strap being arranged for releasable attachment to the outer Wall as by a snap fastener 40, and to the inner wall as by a snap fastener a.

Referring now is FIGS. 6 to l0 inclusive, the method of fabricating the holster in accordance with the present invention will now be explained. In FIG. 6 the stiiener member 21 is shown as being rst bonded to the under surface of the liner member 30 with its cavity formed portion 28 opening towards the liner or in other words covered by the liner. The under surface of the liner member 30 is covered with a suitable bonding material which extends into the marginal area 41 of the liner member around the periphery of the stiffener member. The body member which, as hereinbefore noted, is preformed so that when folded it will form the outer wall 18 and the inner wall 19 of the holster. A part of the inner Wall 19 conforms generally to the configuration of liner 30 and is covered with a bonding material 42, as shown in FIG.

k6, so that the liner member with the stitfenermember at- 4shown in FIG. 8, in which position it will be observed that the endmost portion of the leg 16 overlaps the adjacent end of the Vliner member 30.

Having positioned the welt 15, bonding material is now applied to the lower end portion of the liner member 30 as indicated in the shaded areaV 44, whereuponrthe belt hanger member 32 is bonded in the position shown in FIG. 9, wherein it is substantially coextensive and overlies the liner member 30 and the overlapping end of the leg 16 of the welt. In this position the marginal stitching 33 is applied. At this point of the fabrication procedure, it will be observed that the stitching 31 and stitcl1- 'ing 33 operate to firmly and positively secure Vthe stiffener member in its operative position and retain it within the pocket 29. It will be appreciated that the utilization of a stilfener member of metallic material prevents the use of any stitching through the super-imposed members in the area occupied by the stiifener member, and the i utilization of the procedure previously described accomplishes the desired purpose in a unique manner.

Bonding material is now applied over the exposed surface of the welt 15 as shown by the shaded .areap45, and along the marginal portion adjacent the edge 12 as indicated by the shaded area 45.

The body blank is now folded so as to superimpose the edge 12 into registration with the edge 1,3, whereupon the stitching 14 may be' applied so Vas to form the tubular structure having a forward edge fold 11 and with'an outer wall 18 and inner wall 19, as shown in FIG. 10.'

The holster is now Vblocked to conform its configuration to that of the gun which it is to carry. This is accomplished by moistening the holster material andthen, by the application of external pressure,kthe material is conformed around a' template having the same conguration asthe gun. The blocking operationforces the por- 3S, to deform the overlying areas of the liner member 34B and thebelthanger member 32 into the cavity 23, and at the same time deflects the adjacent area of the outer wall 18 so as to form the cavity portion 36 therein. Thus, the holster is in a sense custom fitted to a particular gun and the tubular structure contoured to'a desired gun configuration so that Va gun carried therein may be quicliiy withdrawn without undesirable impeding friction or gripping action thereon by the tubular structure. .Moreover, the utilization of a stiffener member such as used in the embodiment described herein, enables positioning of the belt attaching loop forming parts at an angle to the axis of the tubular structure so'as to support the gun in the most desirable'position for convenient carrying as well as to facilitate withdrawing the gun from the holster.

Various modications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of my invention, and hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the speciiic forms shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

Iv claim: Y

1. The method of fabricating a holster for a gun, which comprises the stepsyof: preforming a sheet of pliable material into a substantially flat body member having a projecting extension; superimposing a liner member of pliable material andan underlying stiffener member of rigid material on said body member, with portions of said liner and stiffener members substantially conforming in shape to said extension, and other portions thereof extending over the adjacent portion of the body member, said other portion of the stiffencr member being preormed with a recessed cavity portion opening towards said liner member; securing marginal portions of said extension to correspending marginal portions of said liner member outwardly of the adjacent margins of said stiifener member;

Ybody member outwardly of the adjacentmargins of the stiffener member;` folding said body `member and securing superimposed opposite side edges of saidkbody member to form outer and inner walls of a tubular structure for receiving the gun endwise into its upperV end; deforming Aoverlying portions fof said liner and belt hanger members into said cavity of the stitfener member; and then forming a cavity inV said outer wall opposite said cavity in said stifY jecting extension; superimposing a liner member of pliable material and an underlying stilfener member of rigid material on said body member, with portions of saidliner r and stiener members substantially conforming in shape to said projecting extension, and other portions thereof extending over the adjacent portion of the body member, said other portion of the stiffener member being preformed with a recessed cavity portion opening towards said liner member; stitching marginal portions of said projecting extension to corresponding marginal portions of said liner member outwardly of the adjacent margins of said stitfener member; bonding a shaped edge welt along one side of said body member with an end portion overlapped with an adjacent end portion of said liner member; superimposing a belt hanger member on said liner member and overlapped end portion of said welt, said belt hanger having portions substantially conforming with the portions of the liner member which are associated with the body member and said extension; stitching marginal portions of said` belt hanger member and corresponding marginal portions of said liner member and the overlapped end portion of said welt to the underlying body member outwardly of the adjacent margins of the stiff- -ener member; folding said body member and stitching superimposed opposite side edges thereof together with the welt therebetween to form outer and inner walls of a tubular structure for receiving the gunendwise into its tipped end; deforming overlying portions of said liner and belt hanger members into said cavity of the stiener member; and forming a cavity in the portion of said outer wall that confronts the cavity in said stitfener member.

3. The method of fabricating a holster for a gun, which .comprises the steps of: preforming a sheet of pliable material into a substantially flat body member having a projecting extension; superimpos-ing a liner member of pliable material and an underlying preattached stiffener member of metallic material on said body member, with portions of said liner and stiifener members substantially conforming in shape to said projecting extension, and other portions thereof extending over the adjacent portion of the body member, said other portion of the stiifener member being preformed with a recessed cavity portion opening towards said liner member; securing marginal portions of said projecting extension to corresponding marginal portions of said liner member outwardly of the adjacent margins of said stiifener member; superimposing a belt hanger member on said liner member, said belt hanger member having portions substantially conforming with the portions of the liner Imember which are associated with the body member and said extension; securing marginal portions of said belt hanger member and corresponding marginal portions of said liner member to the underlying body member outwardly lof the adjacent margins of the stiiener member; folding said body member and securing superimposed opposite side edges thereof to form outer and inner walls of a tubular structure for receiving the gun endwise Ainto its upper end; deforming overlying portions of said liner and belt hanger members into said cavity of the stiffener member; and deforming a portion of said outer wall to provide a cavity therein confronting the cavity in said stiffener member.

4. The method of fabricating a holster for a gun, which comprises the steps of: preforming a sheet of pliable material into a substantially flat body member having a projecting extension; superimposing a liner member of pliable material and an underlying preattached stiffener member of metallic material on said body member, with portions of said liner and stiifener members substantially conforming in shape to said projecting extension, and other portions thereof extending over the adjacent portion of 'the body member, said other portion of the stiifen-er member being preformed with a recessed cavity portion opening towards said liner member; stitching marginal portions of said projecting extension to corresponding marginal portions of said liner member outwardly of the adjacent margins of said stiffener member; superimposing a belt hanger member on said liner member, said belt hanger member having portions substantially conforming with the portions of the liner member which vare associated with the body member and said extension; stitching marginal portions of said belt hanger member and corresponding marginal portions of said liner member to the underlying body member outwardly of the adjacent margins of the stiffener member; folding said body member and stitching superimposed opposite side edges thereof to form outer and inner walls of a tubular structure for receiving the gun endwise into its upper end; deforming overlying portions of said liner and belt hanger members into said cavity of the stitfener member; and forming a cavity in the portion of said outer wall that is opposite the cavity in said stiifener member.

5. The method of fabricating a holster for a gun, which comprises the steps of: preforming a sheet of pliable material into a substantially dat body member having a projecting` extension; superirnposing a liner member of pliable material and an underlying stiifener member of deformable material on said body member, with portions of said liner and stifener members substantially conforming in shape to said extension, and other portions thereof extending over the adjacent portion of the body member, said other portion of the stiffener member being preformed with a recessed cavity portion opening towards liner member; securing marginal portions of said extension to corresponding marginal `portions of said liner member outwardly of the adjacent margins of said stiffener member; superimposing a belt hanger member on said liner member, said belt hanger member having portions substantially conforming with the portions of the liner member which are associated with the body member and said extension; securing marginal portions of said belt hanger member and corresponding marginal portions of said liner member to the underlying body member outwardly of the adjacent margins of the stiifener member; folding said body member and securing superimposed opposite side edges thereof to form outer and inner walls of a tubular structure for receiving the gun endwise into its upper end; deforming overlying portions of said liner and belt hanger members into said cavity of the stiffener member; forming a cavity in the extension and said portion of said body liner means of pliable material and to which there has been affixed on the surface thereof opposed to said portion of said body a rigid elongate stiffener member having thereon an elongate depression over which said liner means extends; then folding said body between corresponding edges thereof to dispose said corresponding edges opposite one another; securing said corresponding edges together to form a tubular structure closed at one end and open at the other end with said portion 0f said body and said belt hanger extension forming one wall of said tubular structure and the remainder of said body forming other walls of said tubular structure; and then forming in the pliable material that forms one of said other walls an elongate depression confronting said depression in said stitfener member. V

'7. The method of making a holster which includes the steps of: preforming a sheet of pliable material to provide a substantially flat elongate body having an elongate belt attaching extension joined to one end of a portion of said body; afxing in overlying relation to said extension and said portion of said body liner means of pliable material and to which there has been affixed on the surface thereof opposed to said portion of said body a rigid elongate stiffener member having thereon an elon- Vgate depression over Which said liner Vmeans ektends; then folding said body between corresponding edges thereof to dispose said corresponding edges opposite one another; securing said corresponding edges together to form a tubular structure closed at one end and open at the other end with said portion of said body and said belt hanger extension forming one Wall of said tubular structure and the remainder of said body forming other Walls Vof said tubular structure; deforming said liner means into said depression; and then forming in the pliable material that forms one of said other Walls an elongate depresf sion confronting said depression in said stifener member. SpThe method of forming a holster whichincludes 'the steps of: preforming a sheet of llexible material to provide an elongate body of such form, width, and length that it may be folded to provide one Wall of a tubular structure as Well as the other Wallsy of such a structure, with said one Wall having a longitudinal extension at one end thereof; afxing to those portions of said body that will form said one wall and said extension an elongate stiener member having a depression therein; se-

curing to said portions of said body that form said one tially opposite the depression in said stitener member.

V9. The method of forming a holster which includes the steps of: kpreforrning a sheet of flexible material to provide an elongate body of such form, Width, and length that it may be folded to provide one'wall of a tubular structure as well as the other walls `of such a structure, with said one Wall having a longitudinal extension at one end thereof; axing to those portionsy of said body that will form said one wall and said eXtension'an elongate stiffener member having a depression therein; securing to said portions of said body that form said one Wall and said extension Ya pliable linergfor covering said `stiiiener member and the depression there-in; applying over said liner member a pliable beit` attac-hing member so thatportions of the belt attachinglmember are free from connection with portions of the liner lmember that overlie portions of said extension; folding said body to form the aforesaid tubular structure and to dispose corresponding Vmargins ofthe body oppositeV one` another; securing said margins together to close one side and one end of said tubular structure and leave the other end ot said tubular structure open; andthen forming in one of said other Wallsa Ydepression at a point substantially opposite the depression in said stiffener member.

ftd. VThe method of forming a holster which includes the steps'of: preforming asheet of ilexible material to Y provide an elongate body of suchV form, width, and length gate stitener member having a depression therein; se-

curing to said portions o f said body that form said one Wall and said extension a pliable liner for covering said stiifener member and the depression therein; folding said vbody to form the aforesaid tubular structure and to dispose corresponding margins of theV body. opposite one another; securing said margins togetherk to close one Vside and one end of said tubular Vstracturerand leave the other end ofgsaid tubular Vstructure open; andfsubjecting 'said tubular structure to treatment that will deform said liner into said depression and form Vin one of said other Walls a depression substantially opposite the depression in said stifrener member.kv

No references cited.

i 'HUGO o. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. Y 

1. THE METHOD OF FABRICATING A HOLSTER FOR A GUN, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: PREFORMING A SHEET OF PLIABLE MATERIAL INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BODY MEMBER HAVING A PROJECTING EXTENSION; SUPERIMPOSING A LINER MEMBER OF PLIABLE MATERIAL AND AN UNDERLYING STIFFENER MEMBER OF RIGID MATERIAL ON SAID BODY MEMBER, WITH PORTIONS OF SAID LINER AND STIFFENER MEMBERS SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING IN SHAPE TO SAID EXTENSION, AND OTHER PORTIONS THEREOF EXTENDING OVER THE ADJACENT PORTION OF THE BODY MEMBER, SAID OTHER PORTION OF THE STIFFENER MEMBER BEING PREFORMED WITH A RECESSED CAVITY PORTION OPENING TOWARDS SAID LINER MEMBER; SECURING MARGINAL PORTIONS OF SAID EXTENSION TO CORRESPONDING MARGINAL PORTIONS OF SAID LINER MEMBER OUTWARDLY OF THE ADJACENT MARGINS OF SAID STIFFENER MEMBER; SUPERIMPOSING A BELT HANGER MEMBER ON SAID LINER MEM- 